There are no grand plans for Project Blank to vastly re-imagine or revolutionize the skateboarding genre.

The objective is modest yet honest; To improve the physics, improve the animation, and to add more depth to the controls. Project Blank is about focusing on the the skateboarding experience and evolving it.

I've spent the last couple weeks working on the Replay. Besides some long overdue bug fixes I also integrated sound rewinding. It's not overly tricky code but it was time consuming.

In the video I also dropped a Varial Flip. The trick came together quickly but it's not really a freebie. I had gone to greater lengths with the Flip and Shuv physics upfront to make sure they would play together nicely when I did combine them.

Noticing a conveniently placed sticker on a pedestrian crossing light. Smiling because it's an inside joke meant for people like me. Seconds after grabbing a pic, hearing the unmistakable sound of a rolling skateboard getting close fast. Hearing the pop and turning around to catch the last moments of a manny over this. Days later I'm still picturing and enjoying what the full details would have looked like. That's what skatelife is for me.

I wanted to do an update exclusively for the Pop Shuv because they were shaping up real nice. However, it's been over a month since my last Dev Update so I figured it would be best to just drop all my recent progress into one line.

There's lots of stuff piled into here; manual, nose manual, trick-in, trick-out, and the pop shuv. There's also a subtle change to the catch where the board will actually accelerate down "reaching" for the ground. The net effect of the reach makes things less floaty.

Around this time of year many of the old EA Skate devs gather at a local Vancouver spot to catch up and hang out. The devs fondly call this annual event Skate Paddy's Day. I haven't been around for a long time but I love that this tradition still carries on. It's a testament to how special that dev team was.

So to everyone who was part of EA Skate, from OG to 3, the devs and the community; Happy Skate Paddy's Day.

It's taken me much longer than expected to put together this Dev Update but I think it's a good start for grinds and slides.

The interaction between the board and rail is entirely physical. The only reason the board stays on the rail is because forces are being dynamically applied trying to keep it balanced (no different than a skater shifting his weight trying to maintain balance). Hope you enjoy.

While developing OG Skate I was pretty sure a strong community would develop (providing we could make the game we wanted to make). So it wasn't a surprise to me that after we released people started forming teams and filming/editing full feature skate videos.

However, when I stumbled upon LIKEbutterMag I was truly surprised. I did not expect the community would go so far as to have their own skate magazine. Amazing.

Alright. This is my second iteration on the flip mechanics. My first approach was just too unpredictable. I had to scrap several days of work. This new implementation is going to give me much finer control over the motion when we need it (and we'll need that soon).

If you skate, this image will no doubt get your mind turning. You're at very minimum going to consider it. And if it were at your feet, majority of us would most likely attempt it. Stupid? Absolutely. But when you see a board with wheels attached that instinct/impulse to want to ride it kicks in.

If you're curious, artist Arthur King has a few other ridiculous skateboard ideas/art, including a sub sandwich board!

If you can confidently push, turn, and stop, without being a hazard to yourself or pedestrians around you, then one would probably argue you know how to ride a skateboard.

But at what point does someone actually know how to Skate?In my humble opinion; If you can ollie then you're officially there. By then, you've invested several tedious hours learning how to pop cleanly and get lift. You've undoubtably experienced the pain and embarrassment from a few spills before you grow a pair and learn what commitment is. And finally, when you land one, you've experienced the crazy rush of doing something that's truly difficult and awesome. This dude knows how to skate; Sheckler - Big ollie with the style.

The Flickit controls were actually there before I joined EA Skate. It wasn't hooked up to the skater yet (he didn't exist till a few months later) but we had a little app that read the controller and spat out the trick name in text.

The "nucleus" of the Flickit controls (that pulling back on the stick, and then flicking upwards, should be an ollie) is of course pure brilliance. Explain that nucleus to anyone who skates, and everything else within the Flickit system becomes entirely intuitive.

I never cared to chase down the origins of the nucleus; of how it came to be and by who. In my mind at least, I preferred things to be questionable to keep my romantic ideas. You see, I like to philosophize that the controls weren't created or invented. They always just kind of existed. Just sitting there waiting to be realized.

My first attempts at turning on the other hand... they did not go so well. The wheels simply could not get enough traction to hold a turn. It was like riding a skateboard on ice.

So I studied some theory on wheel physics, found some inspiration in vehicle simulation, and wrote up some fancy math formulas. I just threw it into the game like a Hail Mary. To my own surprise, it actually produced nice results! It still needs some tuning but I'm itching to start learning some moves.

Ok. This is where we draw a hard line that separates the people who understand vs those who don't.

Progression and skill will not be measured by points.

Points have no value, especially when they are awarded via a formula or someone else's rules. These point systems stifle creativity and personal style. In skateboarding, those are the things that we value above all.

So how do I get better?Well, the same way someone becomes a better skater in real life! Watch what other people are doing. If you like something you see, try it yourself. Don't forget to put your own twist on it. Also, if you share your skating with the community, they will help guide you to become "better". However, there are no standards you must follow. If you are having fun, then that's all that matters.

Back in high school my skating buddy introduced me to THPS. I watched him play first. He got onto a rail and started flipping over and over on it to rack up crazy points.

When it was my turn, I learned the basics first; how to ollie, flip, manual, and grind. I loved watching the animations so I just kept on doing the "basics"; front side flip the taxi pyramid, then hit the rail with a switch back lip. The session continued on just like that; my buddy dropping gazillion point lines, and me skating more cleanly and deliberately with every go, but scoring dismally.

After about an hour of this he must have realized what was happening. I had no intention on trying to earn a high score. I wasn't playing the same game he was. He turned to me and said; "You're all about the style huh?"

We're going to want to use true physics as much as possible. The closer we stay to what happens in real life, the closer the end experience will be to real skateboarding. In the video, all the different pieces are physically separate but are held together by joints (just like bolts do). For example our kingpin joint ensures our hanger is fixed securely. However, depending on how tightly it's screwed, it allows the hanger a certain amount of "give" and rotation.

I dropped a bunch of wheels and axles all over the skateboard to highlight the physicality of the setup. This game is all about the details and subtleties, and there's lots of nice stuff going on here. For example, notice how when all the loose parts hit the skateboard it absorbs some of the force and bounces slightly, just like in real life.

If you think about it, Skateboarding has arguably more in common with B-Boying than almost any other sport (not including surfing and snowboarding of course).

I can't help but share a clip from last year's Red Bull BC One World Final. Last year marked the 10th anniversary of this international B-Boy competition, the biggest one-on-one contest in the world. For this landmark occasion they brought back 8 past champions, and 8 new challengers who have been killing it on the international circuit recently. There was some epic battles but Hong10, the home town boy from Seoul, and '06 champ, took home the belt. More info atwww.redbullbcone.com.

Ok, I actually started with what's in the top left. Functionally, I didn't need more to continue. But the blocky deck is kind of embarrassing. Nobody deserves to have to ride something like that.

So I decided to download some 3D modeling software. After a few hours of fumbling around, I managed to shape the deck and the wheels. I'm going to skip modeling the trucks. They're a complicated shape for a noob 3D Artist like me. It would take me at least a day and I'm eager to get onto the actual skateboarding.

If you like and appreciate skateboarding then you will enjoy this game (at least, that is my hope). Alternatively, if you have an open mind, and a little perseverance to discover what all the fuss is over, then you just might find you actually like it too.

Unfortunately, there will be lots of people who won't get this game. But we're not trying to appeal to the widest audience possible. No compromise will be made to the intended experience.

For the time being, we're going to spend all our time and energy on the actual skateboarding mechanics (i.e. physics and controls).

Sure, it's super important that there's a strong visual direction/concept. But at some point, people are going to actually play and interact with the game, and a game can only ever be as good as its mechanics.

In a way, it's just like skateboarding. What pro deck you're riding or what clothes you're wearing means little. The way you skate, and your passion for skating, will speak for itself.